Truth and Power April 30, 2017

Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Speaking the truth is hard enough. You mean I have to do it in love? Yes, if I am to be Christ's man or woman, I must speak to others as he did.

Thought for today: Do I struggle with being truthful?

Redeemer April 29, 2017

Job 19:25 (NIV)

25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

Beyond what these words were first meant to convey, we know today that our Redeemer will return as the Rider on the white horse in triumph and victory. Hallelujah, what a day! Then the world truly WILL KNOW that Jesus Christ, our Savior and brother and friend, is Lord of all things!

Thought for today: What does my reconciliation mean to me?

Humility April 28, 2017

Philippians 2:5-8New International Version (NIV)

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own                                                                                                advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

"Lord, humble us gently." That is one of my friend/s favorite prayers. I like it, too. But thank God Jesus was not gently humbled. While I hate he had to go through agony, his self-emptying humility was stark, bold, drastic, and outrageous. But I am to have this same attitude when it comes to reaching God's lost children.

Thought for today: Am I humble?

Lost and Found April 27, 2017

Luke 19:10 (NIV)

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

"The Friend of Sinners." Of all the things Jesus was called, I believe that was his favorite. Come to think of it, I believe it's my favorite, too!

Thought for today: Who are my friends and why are they my friends?

Standing In The Gap April 26, 2017

Hebrews 7:25(NIV)

25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Jesus didn't just come and die for us. He wasn't just raised to give us life. No, as incredible as those gifts are, he adds another blessing to all he has done for us: until he can come and take us home to God, Jesus lives to ask God for grace in our behalf. Jesus is not only our Savior, he is our defender and brother at the Father's side!

Thought for today: Do I understand the importance of an intercessor? 

Indwelling April 25,2017

Colossians 1:27-28 (NIV)

27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Christ lives in me. Until I can become completely like him through the power of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18), he lives in me. Until I can go home to be with him he lives in me (John 14:1-21). Everywhere I go and everything I do, he is in me. Our goal is to have him formed more perfectly in us, not just live in us. Of course, that will be done by his power and through the gift of his Spirit!

Thought for today: Do I acknowledge His presence?

Invaluable April 24, 2017

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

If value is determined by price, we are incredibly valuable. God took the most precious treasure of heaven to buy us out of sin and death and adopt us into his family. Silver and gold pale in comparison to that value.

Thought for today: Do I know my worth?

Bowing April 23, 2017

Romans 14:11(NIV)

11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." "Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!" Yes, every knee will bow. But ours already do. We live in anticipation of the day when all peoples will bow before our King. Until that day, let's do all we can to make sure as many as we can influence bow before Jesus on that Day in joy and not on in fear!

Thought for today: Am I spiritually prepared?

The Master’s Touch April 22, 2017

Romans 1:20 (NIV)

20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

The touch of the Masters hand is all around us. We see it in the order, beauty, and dazzling variety of creation. The great expanse of space, with its billions of stars, along with the incredible world of the microscopic are all testimony to an Orderer of great creativity. God has left his fingerprints all over his world so we can know that he has been here and will not abandon the work of his hands.

Thought for today: Can and do I appreciate God’s hand in my life?

It’s In Good Hands April 21, 2017

John 10:28-30 (NIV)

28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

"He's got the whole world in his hand." Yes, the song may be true, but in a much more special way, God holds his children of faith in his hand. As long as their lives are entrusted to him and his grace, no one or nothing can steal them away.

Thought for today: Is my faith strong enough to trust things are handled?

Victory -1 Death -0 April 20, 2017

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NIV)

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Victory! Ultimate Victory!! If you don't have the answer for life's biggest test, death, then you have no victory. The Super Bowl and World Series are played every year. The champion is a victor for only one year. But a Christian is a champion forever because in Jesus, a Christian has victory over death.

Thought for today: What are my thoughts regarding eternal life?

Resurrection April 19, 2017

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NIV)

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Being eternal is nothing new. Being like Jesus completely, eternally, will be new. But when the moment of glory hung in the balance as Jesus was revived from his death sleep, we too were given the assurance that death no longer claims us. The only death that really matters is our death to sin in baptism with Jesus. If we have shared in that death, we will most certainly share in his resurrection (see Romans 6:1-14).

Thought for today: Do I give thought to and prepare for my spiritual future?

Run And Tell It April 18, 2017

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Imagine Jesus being proud of you! He said if we confess him before others here on earth, he will speak up for us in heaven. Confessing Jesus as our Lord is simply acknowledging the truth. But for believers, it is more than that, since at the close of time every knee will bow and every tongue confess his name. For us, confessing Jesus is anticipating his triumph in which we will share.

Thought for today: Am I in the practice of confessing?

The Message Of The Cross April 17, 2017

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Power! We love power. We love the sound and fury of power. We love the ability that power brings to change things. But, the greatest power ever unleashed on this earth was the power displayed when the Almighty God held back his might and fury while his Son was persecuted and murdered. He did it so he could save us. Now that's an awesome display of power, and it was displayed specifically for us!

Thought for today: Can and do I show the power of restraint?

No Debt April 16,2017

Romans 13:8 (NIV)

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

He paid a debt and I owe one. Thank God I don't owe the debt for my sin, but I owe others the same love, respect and grace with which God has treated me!

Thought for today: Can I offer apologies and forgiveness?

Pay What You Owe April 15, 2017

Romans 13:6-7 (NIV)

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Owe! Tax day. Not my favorite, how about yours? But where would we be without government, order and laws. While we may not like how the system functions today, what if we had no system. Let's be redemptive in our living and obedient in our citizenship and ask God to bless our country and bring it revival.

Thought for today: Am I prepared to pay what I owe when I owe it?

The Power Of The Gospel April 14, 2017

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV)

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

The story of the Gospel is simple. The grace of the Gospel is glorious. The sacrifice of the Gospel is incomprehensible. The victory of the Gospel is eternal. The core of the Gospel is Christ.

 Thought for today: Where is my strength stored?

We All Fall April 13,2017

Romans 3:23-24New International Version (NIV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

"I blew it!" Come to think of it, we've all blown it! We don't measure up. We're not divine. We might be decent, but decent won't save us. Only the divine, the truly righteous, make it past the grave and into glory. Thank God grace is freely given and the price for our sin was paid by Jesus. While I "blew it," he renewed it!

Thought for today: Do I seek grace when I totally screw things up?

Deny, Deny, Deny April 12, 2017

Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

"I've just got to find myself." Won't ever happen. We do not "find ourselves" or "find our life" by pursuing it. We find it by losing it in something, or someone, greater than ourselves. We find our life by losing it to Jesus and the work of his Kingdom.

Thought for today: Am I seeking God as much as 5 should?

Sacrifice April 11, 2017

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

He bore our sins. He didn't just carry them; he suffered the penalty we deserved. His anguish was our healing. His suffering was our righteousness. How can we ever think of going back to sin after he suffered so much to bear its penalty?

Thought for today: Have I given thought to the extent of the suffering endured for me?

Right On Time April 10, 2017

Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus did not die for us because he had some high hopes for who we are or what we would be. No, he died for us because he knew exactly who we are and what we would be without him. Praise be to God; we are now God's righteousness because Jesus took our sin upon himself and gave us God's grace and righteousness in its place (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

Thought for today: Do I embrace the grace?

Radiance April 9, 2017

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Jesus was God with us. No imitation, knock off, or clone, he was God with us. To this day, he sustains all creation with his word — so much for "Mother Nature." But now God-with-us has paid for our sins and is not just God-with-us, but he is also God-for-us at the Father's side.

Thought for today: Do I recognize the immeasurable sacrifice?

Reconciliation April 8, 2017

Romans 5:10 (NIV)

10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Jesus didn't just die for my sins; he lives for me. In fact, he is at God's right hand claiming me as his own (see 1 John 2:1-2). If he was willing to die to save me, what will he withhold now that he lives victorious over death?

Thought for today: How do I honor God’s sacrifice?

Godly Living April 7, 2017

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

When we were baptized into Christ, we shared in his crucifixion and we were raised up to be a new person. Christ is alive in us. The real challenge is for us to be Christ alive in our world! Our motivation? Not to earn salvation, which has already been given us by grace, but to honor him who sacrificed all to save us. (See Romans 6:1-14)

Thought for today: How do I honor God?

Confession April 6, 2017

James 5:16 (NIV)

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

To confess is to do two things with our sin: 1) to recognize sin for what it is in God's eyes and 2) to get rid of our secrets and be honest with another Christian. James' language is powerful. He mentions that this confession doesn't just bring forgiveness. It also brings healing.

Thought for today: Am I willing to be completely transparent with others?

God’s Love April 5, 2017

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

"What am I living for?" While that is an important question, the most important question of all is "Who am I living for?" Only one person can insure that I will never die because he has already died for me and conquered death! If he was willing to die for me, I'm for sure going to live for him!

Thought for today:  Is my life a reflection of Godly living?

The Gift Of Forgiveness April 4, 2017

Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Forgiveness! What a sweet and precious gift. What we were powerless to fix, make up or pay for, God did for us in Jesus. With him, each day is a fresh start and rebirth of Springtime. But my, such a terrible cost he paid to give it to us!

Thought for today: Do I consistently seek and offer forgiveness 

Godly Vision April 3, 2017

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

"He drives where he looks, he drives where he looks!" That statement made by a disgruntled wife about her husband really spoke the truth. He invariably would turn the steering wheel in the direction he was looking. This principle is also true of each of us and our life: "Lives where she or he looks!" That's why it's important to fix our eyes on Jesus! Our life will follow where we look! Let's make sure that our gaze is on Jesus.

Thought for today: Are my eyes on God?

His Fate April 2, 2017

Matthew 20:17-19 (NIV)

17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

One thing the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) make clear, Jesus' death on the cross was no accident. Jesus knew the challenge that awaited him in Jerusalem and he walked into it to deliver us from the same fate. If only we will face our challenges with a faith that God will lead us to triumph beyond our pain!

Thought for today: Do I move in faith despite what things look like for me?

A Fool Speaks April 1, 2017

Psalm 14

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

At one time or another, most of us raised an angry fist to fate and cursed the darkness. Each of these actions is about as equally effective. But to deny there is a God is something else altogether. To rob heaven of God is to rob ourselves of grace, hope, and future. How foolish indeed to forget that behind a Creation of wonder, order, variety, beauty, power, and pattern is the Creator. He is far greater than his handiwork and we dare not ignore, deny, or dismiss him.

Thought for today: Do I allow my doubt to limit God’s movement in my life?